A photography exhibition celebrating Maton Guitars is heading to Melbourne

Go inside the instrument with this visual feast.

For eight decades, Maton Guitars have been synonymous with Australian craftsmanship and musical excellence, gracing the hands of icons from Tommy Emmanuel to Keith Urban and Mark Lizotte (Diesel). Now, acclaimed photographer Isamu Sawa brings this legacy into sharp, evocative focus with his solo exhibition, VIRTUOSITY.

VIRTUOSITY EXHIBITION  

When: Opens Saturday 16 May 2026, 10am – 4pm (free entry), running daily from 10am to 4pm until Sunday 25 May 2026

Where: Isamu Sawa Photography Gallery, 9 Glasshouse Road, Collingwood, Victoria 

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Opening at the Isamu Sawa Photography Gallery in Collingwood on 16 May, the exhibition offers an intimate journey into the artistry behind Maton’s celebrated handmade guitars. Drawing on unprecedented access to the Maton factory, Sawa documents each guitar’s passage from raw Australian timber to instrument of international acclaim. His lens captures not just wood and strings but the human skill, patience, and passion that transform these materials into sound.

Central to the exhibition is the story of the “Maton Master Built T.E. Personal,” a collaboration between Maton’s Master Built Team and guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel. Presented in diptychs—paired images echoing the ‘bookmatched’ soundboards that define the guitars’ distinctive tone—Sawa reveals every meticulous stage of production, elevating the process to a work of art in itself.

Sawa’s photographs are at once precise and poetic, a reflection of his Japanese heritage and the inventive spirit of Australia. This is his fourth solo exhibition, with works held in prominent galleries and private collections worldwide. VIRTUOSITY also invites collectors and enthusiasts to take home a piece of the magic, with limited-edition archival pigment prints available for purchase throughout the exhibition.

For those who have ever admired the tactile beauty of a guitar or wondered at the skill behind its voice, VIRTUOSITY promises a rare and intimate look at the instruments that have defined a nation’s musical landscape.

To find out more about the VIRTUOSITY exhibition, head here.